Glove with a contactless data carrier

ABSTRACT

A data carrier for contactless control of persons upon utilization of a service in skiing areas, which has a chip ( 4 ) with an antenna ( 5 ), is disposed in a glove ( 1 ).

This invention relates to the use of a glove with a contactless datacarrier.

Compared to data carriers which must be inserted into a control device,contactless-type data carriers which cooperate with a reader orread-write device in the radio wave range over a relatively great datatransfer distance have the advantage that they can be worn e.g. on theanorak e.g. in the form of a card or integrated into a wristwatch, i.e.can be used “hand-free”. They are therefore preferably used at accesscontrols of ski lifts and cable cars which generally have a personsingling device such as a turnstile operated or unblocked by the readeror read-write device when the read-write device receives suitable datafrom the data carrier (cf. WO 94/25939).

So that it cannot go astray during skiing the data carrier is generallyfastened to the anorak or kept in an anorak pocket. One is thereforemore or less forced to keep one's anorak or other outer garment on foraccess control even when one would actually rather take it off. Datacarriers integrated into wristwatches, on the other hand, are relativelycostly.

DE 195 30 391A discloses a read-write device for transponders which areused for the stockkeeping e.g. of gas cylinders. To simplify reading andwriting of the transponder, an antenna and a switch are provided in thepalm side of a glove, the switch being connected with the read-writedevice via a cable. Patent Abstracts of Japan vol. 198, no. 08, Jun. 30,1998, and JP 10 082223 A disclose a car burglarproof device using atransponder in a garment of the driver, for example in the glove. Whenthe engine speed exceeds a certain value the transponder transmits anidentification code which is received by a receiver on the vehicle. Ifthe received code does not match the stored code, the fuel supply isinterrupted.

The problem of the invention is to provide a contactless data carrierfor skiers which hardly causes additional costs without causing anyfeelings of disturbance.

This is obtained according to the invention by the measures of claim 1.Ski gloves protect from cold and from hand injuries. They are thereforeamong the articles of clothing which a skier virtually always has withhim.

Contactless data carriers comprising a carrier plate with a chip andantenna are commercially available as mass products at low cost. Sincesubstantially only such a data carrier is used without major changeswhich need only be fastened to a conventional ski glove according to theinvention, hardly any additional costs are caused for the glove by thedata carrier.

The chip with the antenna is preferably encapsulated in a small plasticcarrier plate. This protects it excellently from environmentalinfluences as well as mechanical stress. The chip with the antenna canfor this purpose be integrally cast or injection molded in the plate.The plate can have a thickness of for example 1 to 3 mm and a diameterof e.g. 2 to 4 cm. It is preferably of round, in particular circular,form, having in any case rounded corners to avoid damage to the glove orinjuries. The antenna, which is preferably formed as a coil, extends inthe edge area of the plate.

The plastic carrier plate is preferably disposed in the area of the backof the glove since it is least disturbing there and this area remainsfree even when the skier is holding his ski poles when passing throughthe control device.

Sport clothing is nowadays often given visible technicity by theincorporation of basically clothing-unrelated technical devices in orderto increase its value outwardly. The plastic carrier plate with theencapsulated chip and antenna are very suitable for this. For thispurpose the ski glove is preferably provided on its outer side in thearea of the back of the hand with a window-shaped gap in which thecarrier plate with the chip and antenna is disposed. In order to makethe encapsulated chip and antenna visible in the recess the carrierplate is of transparent design. It can thus be formed for example frompolyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene orsimilar transparent plastic.

The gap is provided in the surface material of the glove which can befor example a textile material, leather or a foil. For fastening thecarrier plate in the gap in the surface layer, the carrier plate canhave at the edge at least one extension with which it is fastened to thesurface material and/or to one or more layers under the surfacematerial. Said layer or layers under the surface material can consist oftextile material or a foil. They can also be breathable,water-impermeable layers, for example foils provided with microporese.g. of polytetrafluoroethylene or similar fluorine-containing plastics.

The extension on the carrier plate is covered by the surface material.It can be formed by one or more tabs, or by a flange. The extension canbe formed by suitable openings to be sewn onto the surface materialand/or the layer or layers under the surface material. The carrier platecan for example also be fastened by welding or gluing the extension tothe layer of the glove under the surface material or to the lower sideof the surface material. If the carrier plate is welded or glued to thelayer under the surface material, the extension can also be omittedcompletely.

The ski glove which is provided with the contactless data carrieraccording to the invention can have any structure. However, itpreferably has a filling layer under the carrier plate so that thecarrier plate does not press on the hand. The ski glove can be a gloveor a mitten.

To seal the glove in the area of the gap in the surface material, thesurface material preferably lies close against or on the edge area ofthe carrier plate; it can optionally also be glued or welded to thecarrier plate.

In the following an embodiment of the inventive data carrier will beexplained in more detail by way of example with reference to thedrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a ski glove; and

FIG. 2 shows a section through the upper side of the glove along lineII—II in FIG. 1 in an enlarged view.

Thus, carrier plate 2 made of transparent plastic is fastened to theback of ski glove 1. Carrier plate 2, which can have for example athickness of 3 mm, is provided on the circumference with tab-shapedextension 3 which with its thickness of for example 0.2 to 1 mm isformed thinner than plate 2. The contactless data carrier, i.e. chip 4with bonded antenna coil 5, is encapsulated in carrier plate 2. Carrierplate 2 is of round form, as is antenna coil 5 extending in the edgearea of carrier plate 2.

Carrier plate 2 is disposed in gap 6 in surface material 7 of glove 1.Extension 3 is covered by surface material 7 and therefore shown by adashed line in FIG. 1.

In accordance with FIG. 2, glove 1 has surface material 7, carrier layer8 and soft cushion layer 9. In addition, filling layer 10 can beprovided between surface material 7 and carrier layer 8, and undercushion layer 9 for example breathable, waterproof interlayer 11, forexample consisting of a foil with micropores, and thereunder insidelayer 12, for example a fine fabric.

Surface layer 7 can consist for example of leather, a foil or a textilematerial such as felt or a fabric. Carrier layer 8 can be a textilematerial, for example felt or a fabric, or a foil. Extension 3 providedwith suitable holes 13 is used for sewing plate 2 to carrier layer 8and/or surface layer 7 as well as optionally also to interlayer 12, asshown schematically by seam 14 in FIG. 2. Surface layer 7 lies with theedge of its gap 6 close against plate 2.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glove assembly for use with an access controlsystem for a ski lift or a cable car, the access control system having adata reader, said glove assembly including: a glove body having a backsection, said glove body formed from an inner layer of material locatedadjacent a hand on which said glove assembly is worn, and a surfacelayer that extends over said inner layer that is distal from the handand said surface layer is formed in the back section to define a gap; acarrier plate attached to the back section of said glove body, saidcarrier plate disposed in the gap of the back section of said glove andformed to have an extension tab that extends between said inner layersaid surface layer; a securing member extending between said carrierplate extension tab and to at least one of said surface layer or saidinner layer of said glove body for securing said carrier plate to saidglove body; and a contactless data carrier for transmitting data to theaccess control system reader, said contactless data carrier including achip and antenna that are mounted to said carrier plate.
 2. The gloveassembly of claim 1, wherein said chip and said antenna are encapsulatedin said carrier plate.
 3. The glove assembly of claim 1, wherein saidcarrier plate is formed from transparent material.
 4. The glove assemblyof claim 1, wherein said chip and said antenna are encapsulated in saidcarrier plate and said carrier plate is formed from transparentmaterial.
 5. A glove assembly for use with an access control systemhaving a data reader, said glove assembly including: a glove body havinga back section, said glove body formed from an inner layer of materiallocated adjacent a hand on which said glove assembly is worn and asurface layer which extends over said inner layer that is distal fromthe hand, wherein said surface layer is formed to define a gap; acarrier plate attached to the back section of said glove body, saidcarrier plate disposed in the gap of the back section of the glove, andsaid carrier plate is formed to have an extension tab that extendsbetween said inner layer and said surface layer; a securing memberextending between said carrier plate extension tab and to at least oneof said surface layer or said inner layer of said glove body forsecuring said carrier plate to said glove body; and a contactless datacarrier for transmitting data to the access control system reader, saidcontactless data carrier including a chip and antenna which are mountedto and encapsulated in said carrier plate.
 6. The glove assembly ofclaim 5, wherein said carrier plate is formed from a transparentmaterial.